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From: davet@oakhill.UUCP (Dave Trissel)
Newsgroups: net.sci,net.rec.photo
Subject: Re: Holograms at Disneyland
Message-ID: <601@oakhill.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 29-Nov-85 23:45:32 EST
Article-I.D.: oakhill.601
Posted: Fri Nov 29 23:45:32 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 1-Dec-85 03:17:03 EST
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Reply-To: davet@oakhill.UUCP (Dave Trissel)
Organization: Motorola Inc. Austin, Tx
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Xref: watmath net.sci:484 net.rec.photo:1656

In article <160@brl-tgr.ARPA> gwyn@brl-tgr.ARPA (Doug Gwyn <gwyn>) writes:
>> However, at least at Disney World's version of the Haunted Castle, there
>> is a segment of the haunted ride where you are taken by a large
>> picture window, through which you can see a bunch of ghostly figures
>> dancing around a gothic banquet hall. This has to be done by holograms;

How this is done is quite obvious.  You see the scene from very high up and
must look down.  Underneath you is a setup of all the 'ghosts' in a black room
moving about.  What you see is merely their reflection upon a semi-mirrored
surface in front of the entire 'live' room you see that is really in front of
you.

As for the faces which sing the 'ghost' song and stare at you while you pass -
I studied them very carefully the first day the haunted mansion opened at
Disney World.  They were fascinating.  They are actually featureless 'heads'
with white reflective coating.  The faces are actually a film projected from
behind and above.  Very good illusion.

The 'infinite' candlestick reflections would seem to be a simple use of
parallel mirrors.  However, here I am conjecturing.  Time after time I have
stared at it while riding by and I haven't seen any clues to indicate
otherwise.

  -- Dave Trissel   {ihnp4,seismo}!ut-sally!oakhill!davet